Faithfulness: The Will and Work of the Faithful One
God is faithful (Dt 7:9; 32:4; Hos 11:12; 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18), that is, He is full of faith in Himself. Faith knows something of its object-in-view. Faith trusts in the Word and actions of One who is faithful and true. God knows Himself; therefore, He does not waver in His wisdom and power. His will is done with perfect precision.
The natural man does not know God (1 Cor 2:14); therefore, the unregenerate sinner is faithless (Jn 10:26; Rom 8:9). He does not trust in the promises of God because he does not believe in God, and he does not believe because he does not belong to Christ (1 Cor 3:23). He does not belong to God because God made the reprobate to be a vessel of wrath being prepared destruction (Rom 9:22). Against this faithless, hopeless, godless man the Lord displays justice through judgment (Gen 18:25; Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5).
So, we ask, “How does the faithless man become faithful? First, we see a faithful man in the Bible. Jesus Christ is faithful and true (Rev 3:14; 19:11), even a faithful and true witness of God the Father and Himself. Jesus knows the Father and displays perfect confidence in Him. In word and action, Jesus, trusted God the Father to do everything ascribed to God’s will. The difference between Jesus and other men is that the God-man has always been faithful. Other men are faithless until the catalyst of faith makes them faithful. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is faithfulness (Gal 5:22).
No man has the will or ability to be found faithful to God apart from Christ (Jn 15:5; Rom 8:7). In fact, if faithfulness is ever ascribed to a person, he or she must defer credit to the Spirit of Christ indwelling him (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; Gal 4:6; 2 Tim 1:14). It is the Spirit working faith in the one granted faith (Gal 5:22; Phil 1:29).
Trusting God in Christ and Christ in the Spirit is an accomplished work of the Holy Spirit. One cannot be found faithful without faith, and faith is not of oneself. Faith is a gift of God granted in the measure the Author of faith has ordained (Rom 12:3; Heb 12:2).
Faith works (Jas 1:22–25; 2:14–26), and as it does it is displayed for others to see, know, and believe in Jesus. Thus, the faithful one, both God and the person He indwells, presents the faith handed down to all His saints in both Word and deed (Jude 3). When the works prepared beforehand by God manifest (Eph 2:10), the faithful man is displayed as an object of God’s mercy, love, and grace (Rom 9:23).
God the Spirit’s work in manifesting faith in God’s chosen people results in people glorifying “His” and “his” faithfulness. The faithful Spirit in the God-made faithful man does that which is deemed faithful (Gal 5:22). To tell a person to “be faithful” without telling him or her that God is faithfully manifesting faithfulness in them is pharisaical legalism.
God calls faithless people to trust in the faithful Christ (Acts 16:31). This is impossible without the faithful Spirit granting faith and then producing faithfulness as a fruit for those in vital union with Christ. What is impossible with men (faithfulness to God) is only possible through the exclusive grace of God (God’s work).
God is entirely faithful to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil 2:13), which is that some would love Him in response to His love for them (1 Jn 4:19). This love for God is displayed in obedience to all God has commanded (Dt 11:1, 13; Jn 14:15; 15:10; 1 Jn 5:3). Ethnic Israel proved this obedience was very elusive for them (1 Cor 10). True Israel, Jesus Christ (Is 49:1–6), proved His perfect love for the Father, by His perfect obedience to the One who sent Him into the world (Jn 3:16; Heb 4:15).
The Father and the Son, in love for those predestined to adoption as sons (Eph 1:4–5), sent these elect people known to them from eternity, the Spirit of God to know and believe the love of God (Jn 14:26; 15:26). Thus, faithfulness is the response of the Spirit-filled soul still struggling with life in the flesh (Rom 7).
For this reason, faithfulness is not a consistent reality for the Christian (Rom 7). Although the faithful indwelling Spirit remains ever faithful, the one deemed to be a faithful man or woman of God can only claim that God is able to produce and manifest faithfulness. Stated another way, faithless is the man without the Spirit of God (Jn 10:26; Rom 8:9), and the degree and frequency of faithfulness is determined by God’s sovereign will and work, alone.
The Christian is not responsible for his or her faithfulness to God. The soul was unfaithful until the faithful Spirit entered and began His good work (Mt 3:11; Acts 2:38; 10:45; Phil 16). Thus, any display of faithfulness in the child of God is entirely attributed to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit causes the believer belonging to Christ to walk in God’s statutes (Ezek 36:27). Here is the mystery of Christian obedience, Christian love, revealed. It is Christ, faithful and true, in the soul of a man being made faithful.
My dear reader, do not accept nor bear the heavy yoke of men demanding faithfulness with zero reference to the Holy Spirit. Put no confidence in your flesh to produce the good work of faithfulness (Phil 3:3). Instead, keep your eyes on the faithful One (Heb 12:2), who has sent you His faithful Spirit to manifest faithfulness in and through you by His will and His grace. The yoke of faithfulness is easy when you remember Him who performs all our works for us (Is 26:12) and who accomplishes everything that concerns us (Ps 57:2; 138:8) …including faithfulness. He is faithful. He will do it (Ps 37:5).
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
March 23, 2022
